Woman with Black Hood in Snow

Artist/Culture Utagawa Kunisada I 歌川国貞 (Toyokuni III 三代豊国) (Japanese, 1786–1864)

Publisher Sanoya Kihei 佐野屋喜兵衛 (Kikakudō 喜鶴堂) (Japanese)

Date1830s

Mediumwoodblock print; ink and color on paper

DimensionsVertical ōban, upright diptych (kakemono-e): 73.4 x 24.5 cm (28 7/8 x 9 5/8 in.)

ClassificationsPrints

Credit LineJohn Chandler Bancroft Collection

Terms

Japanese Print

Object number1901.273

Label TextThis diptych is a prime example of Kunisada I’s approach to bijin (“beautiful women”) in the 1820s and 1830s. He ceased to rely as heavily on beauty archetypes and instead placed more emphasis on communicating the sensory experience of the subject, thereby imbuing his subjects with more intrigue. Here, he depicts the female figure largely covered with a heavy coat, clutching her body with arms held close to her chest, blue lips, and uncovered toes to evoke the coldness of her walk through the snow. Although Kunisada I does not identify the figure, she is likely depicting Osono, from the kabuki play Kanadehon Chushingura, or “Treasury of Loyal Retainers.” The distinctive blue kimono worn here is not necessarily associated with this role, but it was part of the character’s costume in several productions in the 1830s, suggesting that Kunisada I was appealing to consumers who followed kabuki and would want mementos from these specific performances.

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